The teachers of the University of Peshawar have announced the end of their 40-day strike and have agreed to take extra classes for three weeks.
The decision comes after successful negotiations with the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Haji Ghulam Ali, and officials of the Higher Education Department and the Chief Secretary, who have assured the teachers that their demands will be met.
The strike began on March 5th in response to the killing of security supervisor Saqlain Bangash by a security guard at Peshawar University.
The teachers’ demands included a judicial inquiry into Bangash’s murder, psychological examinations for security guards, clearing the campus of weapons and drugs, and the removal of the vice-chancellor.
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According to Peshawar University Teachers Association (PUTA) President Mohammad Uzair, a judicial inquiry will be conducted into the murder case of Saqlain Bangash.
PUTA withdrew its demand for the resignation of the vice-chancellor, as the evidence provided to the governor to remove him was insufficient. The administration has agreed to accept the remaining demands, and a syndicate will be called to fulfill the teachers’ requirements.
The university administration resumed the teaching process last week using visiting faculty, but the number of students in the classes was less.
Mohammad Nauman, the spokesperson for the University of Peshawar, has praised the efforts of officials, including the Chancellor and the Governor, who played an important role in ending the protest and making negotiations successful. Nauman added that after Eid, all activities will return to normal at Jamia Peshawar.
Jameel Chitrali, former President of the Peshawar University Teachers Association (PUTA), expressed his appreciation for the negotiation efforts and announced that the PUTA president has decided to hold extra classes for three weeks to compensate for the strike period and prevent any academic setbacks for the students.
